The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-08-13
THE SALMON BUSINESS.

the ClOSS VI pISOONiS
in a great measure due TO the manner
in which the business is conducted
Any business carried ON in the same
way would, of necessity, have the
same financial result. Smith or
Brown, in February or March, con-
tract to deliver so many thousand
cases of salmon at prices ranging from
S1271S to $L3O. All the risk is
theirs; all the expense, all the friction
and annoyance of the season; all the
chances are taken by them, and when
August 1st comes, the salmon that
they are delivering at $l.2O and SL25
and S1.30 are worth S1.55 on the river
and S1.90 in New York. They are
worth that to the wholesale dealer,
the speculator, the middle man: why
not to the Gamer? Simply and solely
because the business is carried on as
it is. Every year the cream OF the
profit is skinned off and the blue
residue left for the canneries: every
year the same stripping performance
is repeated, and like a man who
works all day for SS or $40 and blows
it all in at a faro game at night, the
Gamers work year in and year out for
a bare existence that could be made
richly profitable 10y adherence to the
most ordinary business suggestions.
Any criticism such as this on the
style of doing business prevalent Is
sure to evoke hostile comment from
both Gamers and spectators. But it
is so, all the same. These are the
patent facts, refute them If you can.
The money that is made in the Colum-
bia river salmon industry is not any
use to the men that do the most of
the work, and who carry the big end
of the plank-the Gamers. To them
is left the work; to others is given the
profits. Bankruptcy would await any
man in any line of business that
would adopt and adhere to such a
course.
And it is not a matter of necessity.
1t appears to be allowed to continue
through force of habit more than any
thing else. How are you going to do
different?" Very easily. The first
necessity is to recognize the fact that
a case of Columbia river salmon
straight goods"-carries its value in
the fact of its own existence. 1t is of
repute, stands at the head, is not COM
PEELED to seek recognition, is of su-
perior quality by reason of its being
Columbia river salmon and the care
exercised in its preparation, and is
sought after and valued accordingly
A Columbia river Gamer needn't
throw himself on the five cent counter
or snap at the first offer made him
If he has the salmon he can find a
ready market for it, provided it is
what it is represented to be. No
other rivers product can compare
with it, and it is a good deal like a
man selling $40 gold pieces for $3.50
to see Columbia river salmon Gamer
allowing other packs to be brought
into competition with the pack of this
river, and scared into selling it away
below par.
This is written in full recognition
OF the fact that advances are made,
money furnished the Gamer to carry
on his business, etc, and that brok-
erage charges, interest, etc, may ne
cessitate the best terms possible un-
der the circumstances. But that isn't
a fair criterion. Amy man in any
business, whether it be the.newspaper
business or the grocery business, or
the old junk business, that is trading
on borrowed capital has to do the best
he can. OF course, if he is owned by
the man that carries the sack, he must
do his masters bidding and either fish
or cut bait.
The second requisite is to cut down
the number of boats in the river at
least one-half; just as many salmon
would be caught as under the present
ruinous way Of carrying on business,
where the only reason that Jones can
give for running 60 boats is that Rob-
inson is running 65. A cannery that
has $4,000 invested in gear cannot do
near SO well selling salmon at SL40 a
dozen as a cannery with $4,000 In
vested that sells its salmon at SL35
The only reason why 800 boats were
on the river this summer was that
every time cannery put on a half-a-
dozen more every Gamer on the river
had to follow suit, on the same plea
as the man who stole mule in Arkan.
sas-"self defence"
The third and by no means the
least of the business requirements OF
the situation is the establishment of a
salmon avahopna OF Ac4ar,o II. a